The Australasian Railway Association (ARA) has urged the re-elected Labor Government to continue prioritising rail investment and policy reform.
ARA CEO Caroline Wilkie congratulated Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Australian Labor Party on their recent victory and reaffirmed the rail industry’s commitment to working with government to build a “stronger, more sustainable transport future”.
She said a stable pipeline of rail infrastructure projects is critical to Australia’s future economic growth and supporting growing cities and regions.
“With rail contributing more than $30 billion to the national economy each year and supporting Australia’s net zero goals, sustained investment in rail is vital to our long-term economic, environmental and social prosperity,” Wilkie said.
“Proposed projects such as the Sydney to Newcastle High Speed Rail, the Melbourne Airport Rail Link, as well as the critical development of Inland Rail are nation-shaping infrastructure investments that will transform how Australians live, work and travel.
“We have recently seen the incredible benefits that rail delivers through success stories like the Sydney Metro and light rail networks in Canberra and the Gold Coast that have driven urban growth and investment, increased housing supply, and created more connected, sustainable and resilient communities.”
Wilkie said the ARA also looks forward to progressing rail reform initiatives under the National Rail Action Plan, particularly standards harmonisation and interoperability.
“We also welcome the opportunity to continue growing Australia’s rail manufacturing capability to secure local jobs and create a more competitive rail industry internationally,” Wilkie continued.
“There is also an urgent need in Australia to significantly increase the volume of freight on rail – continued investment and strengthening of policies that support a more resilient and reliable rail freight sector will be critical to supporting our supply chain in the future.”
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